In celebration of the history and present of the cities of Alexandria and Athens, the “Art d’Egypte, Culture Vault” Foundation, in cooperation with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, held a special opening of the exhibition “A Tale of Two Cities: Athens and Alexandria”, which is hosted by the city of Alexandria until November 4, with the attendance and participation of Gamal Hosni, Director of the Department of Exhibitions and Art Collections at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
“A Tale of Two Cities: Athens and Alexandria” is the second edition of the exhibition hosted by the Acropolis Museum in the Greek capital, Athens, last June, under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Egyptian Embassy in Greece, to display the works of contemporary artists from Greece and Egypt, which are inspired by the artistic heritage of the two peoples to provide a deeper vision and understanding of the ties that unite the two civilizations, and to discover the rich artistic and cultural fabric of the heritage of the two peoples.
Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, founder of Art d’Egypte, CultureFounder, said: “The exhibition ‘A Tale of Two Cities: Athens and Alexandria’ highlights international artists inspired by the close historical ties between the two cities. Their artworks reflect an artistic and cultural dialogue between Alexandria and Athens, revealing the shared customs, traditions and philosophies that shaped the Egyptian and Greek civilizations over time.
It is a tribute to the deep historical ties and distinct identity of the two peoples that transcend time.” Abdel Ghaffar expressed her happiness to cooperate with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and to archaeologist Kalliopi Papakosta and her efforts in holding the two editions of the exhibition in Athens and Alexandria, in addition to her passionate work that we hope will lead to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of our time: the tomb of Alexander the Great.
During the opening, Italian artist Emilio Ferrero said that the idea of the artwork he is participating in the exhibition is based on one continent; The world was one continent and was divided into five continents like it with pieces of marble and made the middle like the sun around which everyone gathers without conflicts or problems, adding that he participated in the exhibitions “Eternity is Now” and “Cairo International Arts District” during the past two years and this year he is participating in the exhibition “A Tale of Two Cities” in Alexandria, and he is happy with the different art exhibitions presented by Art D’Egypte.
While Noha Nagi, the widow of the late artist Hazem El-Mustakawy, spoke about his artistic piece that he is participating in the exhibition and the beginning of his experience with the idea of seals when he returned to Egypt and entered the maze of government papers and office tools began to take up a large place and space in his life, she added that this work used cardboard and screen and was completed within a month, and this is the second time he has appeared in an art exhibition; therefore, she is happy as long as the artwork is displayed, her husband’s name will remain immortal.
Sheikh Rashid Khalifa talked about the idea of his artwork, which came to him during an exhibition in London that requested artworks, but with an oriental touch and a contemporary concept, and from here came the idea of the mashrabiya with a contemporary concept.
He added that he participated last year in the “Eternity is Now” exhibition and finds that what Art d’Egypte does is very important for the entire region, as it revives it, especially since there is no place in the world more beautiful than the pyramids.
Artist Saeed Badr said that the idea of his work “History of the City” is to integrate cultures through three pieces, the first of which has the alphabet of ancient civilizations written on its surface, the second work is a message titled “Light of the Word”, and the third is a city gate with words from the ancient alphabet written on it and the poem of Al-Abnoudi “I care about the human being even if he has no address”.
He added that the idea of the “A Tale of Two Cities” exhibition is wonderful and highlights the culture between two cities on the Mediterranean Sea, and it is similar to the ideas of his work in terms of interaction between cultures and exchange of experiences; the language of the artwork is a universal language that everyone understands. Artist Arthur Licher expressed his happiness to participate for the second time in the “A Tale of Two Cities” exhibition, especially since it is held in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, which represents civilization and history, stressing his pride in being in this ancient place.
Regarding the idea of his work, “Litcher” explained that it is a book made of wood, copper and multiple threads and does not contain any writing, as silence is the language of nature that he hopes people will understand.
While artist Misha Kattawi spoke about his artwork, which is a group of street stones that built the Greek and Roman civilizations and participated in wars and changed over the ages, he added that during the lockdown period during the Corona virus, he was able to see the street stones in their natural state.
A number of international artists participate in the “A Tale of Two Cities: Athens and Alexandria” exhibition, including: Omar Toson, Saeed Badr, Esmeralda Kosmatopoulos, Jean Boghossian, Antonella Leoni, Sheikh Rashid Al Khalifa, Emilio Ferro, Hazem Al-Mustakawi, Arthur Licher, Misha Kattawi, Costas Varotsos and Karim Al-Hayawan. For the first time, artist Hassan Ragab participates with an AI-generated video about the historical and cultural ties between Greece and Alexandria. The artworks are displayed inside the Bibliotheca Alexandrina building and also in the library’s outdoor courtyard. The opening of the “A Tale of Two Cities: Athens and Alexandria” exhibition at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina was attended by Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and Ambassador Este Roman Maldonado, Dominican Ambassador to Egypt. The opening of the exhibition at the Acropolis Museum in the Greek capital was also attended by Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, founder of “Art d’Egypte, CultureVeter, Ambassador Omar Amer, Ambassador of Egypt to Greece, and Dr. Nikolas Stamboulidis, Director of the Acropolis Museum
Published Oct 29, 2024.
